Darwin

Charles Darwin
1. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist born in 1809. 2. In 1831 Darwin set off on a journey around the world which lasted 5 years. This trip is commonly known as the ‘Voyage ofthe Beagle’ (the name of the ship which Darwin travelled on). On his voyage, Darwin collected specimens of animals, plants and rocks from around the world and sent them back to England.

3. He alsokept a journal of his observations. Darwin noticed that there were similarities between different species of animals and plants. His observations of finches on the Galapagos Islands (off the coast ofSouth America) are probably the most famous example of this. Darwin noticed that the beaks of finches on the different islands were slightly different and so were the environments in which each specieslived. He thought that these finches had derived from a common ancestor which had migrated from the mainland of Chile, where Darwin had observed some similar finches. The shape of the beaks wereadaptations for eating a particular type of food (Ex. Long beaks were used for eating insects, short for seeds).

4. Darwin thought that organisms came from a common ancestor and gradually changed overtime. This theory is now more commonly known as the theory of evolution. 5. Darwin noticed that there was variation between individuals of the same species (e.g. variation in the beak size or shapeof finches) and thought that individuals that were better suited to a particular environment had a greater chance of surviving. These individuals were therefore more likely to survive and reproduce,producing offspring with similar characteristics to their parents. Darwin called this theory ‘Natural Selection’. It is also sometimes called ‘Survival of the Fittest’. 6. Darwin’s theories were heavilycriticised at the time, mainly because people tended to be very religious. At the time scientists, including Darwin, did not know about genes or chromosomes, or how characteristics were inherited....